Handle microphone



Nov. 23, 1965 E. PLESS HANDLE MICROPHONE Filed April 6. 1962 INVENTOR. Ernsf P/ess GENT United States Patent 3,219,765 HANDLE MICROPHONE Ernst Pless, Vienna, Austria, assignor to Akustische u. gino-Geriite Gesellschaft m.b.H., Vienna, Austria, a

FiledApr. 6, 1962, 'Ser. No. 185,588 Claims priority, application Austria, July 28, 1961, A 5,837/61 15 Claims. (Cl. 179-178) This invention relates to handle microphones, i.e., to microphones which are provided with a handle and are mainly used for dictating equipment, magnetic sound recorders and the like. Such microphones generally have a cable of various length provided at its free end with a plug for connection to the amplifying equipment. Heretofore it was common practice to wind this cable around the handle when the microphone was not in use. Since no means was provided for securing the cable to the handle frequent unwinding and interference with the storage of the microphone resulted from this practice. Moreover, the loosely hanging cable was also susceptible to damage since the .plug was an obstruction and easily torn oil; finally, it was inconvenient that the entire cable had to be unwound even if only a short length was required to operate the microphone in a given application.

To eliminate these disadvantages, the invention provides a microphone of the kind indicated hereinbefore, comprising a handle which consists of two parts, nested one in the other and detachably connected to one another, the inner part including protruding elements, such as posts, bars and the like, around which the electric cable connected to the microphone capsule can be wound.

More particularly, the outer one of the two parts which are nested one in the other is constituted by a sleeve and the inner one by a longitudinal support plate which carries said elements and the microphone capsule.

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the illustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the microphone with the sleeve removed and the cable in place;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sleeve alone;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. '1, but of a different embodiment and with the cable not shown;

FIG. 4 is yet another modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but similarly in perspective; and

FIG. 5 is a modified sleeve in perspective.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 is a microphone housing, which is generally prismatic, more particularly cubical in shape and has at least on one side sound passage openings leading to an internally disposed microphone capsule.

The microphone housing has attached to it an elongated plate 3, which carries two spaced semi-cylindrical hollow upright posts 4, 5 disposed 'in the longitudinal axis of the plate and provided at their tops with longitudinally outwardly projecting flanges. These posts may have peripheral grooves of a width allowing the cable to be received therewithin. Wound around both posts is the cable 6, one end of which is connected to the terminals on the microphone capsule with soldering tabs interposed, if desired. The other end of the cable '6 has the usual connecting plug 7, which in most cases is concentric and which, when the cable has been wound up, is laid in the space between the .two pins resulting from their longitudinal spacing. It is advantageous to provide a retaining means for the plug in the space between the two posts. This holder may consist of a compartment or a fitting aperture in the plate 3 to hold the plug in position.

A sleeve 8 is slidable over the plate 3 and when fully fitted on the plate engages the housing 1 and is suitably 3,219,765 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 flush with the same. Alternatively, the engaging side of the housing may be provided with projections on which the open end of the sleeve is fitted and centered. Locking means, such as a resilient pawl and an opening, may be provided between the sleeve and the remaining parts. An example of such locking means is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The open rim 8 will be seen to have a notch 9, through which the cable extends outwardly when the sleeve is placed over the plate 3.

When the microphone is not in use, the cable with the attached plug is wound up and kept in the manner apparent from FIG. 1. Before the microphone is used, the sleeve is withdrawn, the required length of cable is unwound and the sleeve is fitted again, the cable 6 and the plug 7 now extending out through the notch 9.

In the modification shown in FIG. 3 the semi-cylindrical posts 4 and 5 of FIG. 1 are replaced by fully cylindrical posts. Otherwise this modification is identical to FIG. 1.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plate 10 is provided which is slidable in its entirety into a sleeve 11, the latter being closed at one end. The plate carries at one end the microphone capsule 12 opposite which the sleeve 11 has sound inlet openings 13. In the middle of the plate 10 an upstanding holder 14 with a flange extending beyond its top on all sides in the shape of a T is disposed, around which the cable 6 can be wound. At the other end of the plate, a generally prismatic compartment 15 is provided for the plug 7. This compartment is open both at the top and toward the end of the plate. The plug 7 is so receivable in this compartment that the free end .faces the open side of the sleeve 11 and the contact pins (not shown) are aligned with the opening. In this condition, with the cable wound up, the microphone can be placed on a stand provided with a socket for the plug.

Alongside the compartment 15 gripping means including a pair of cleats 16 may be provided. The faces of such cleats which are adapted to protrude through notches in the sleeve in the assembled state of the device may be serrated, grooved or otherwise roughened to facilitate the gripping of the plate 10. When the sleeve is fitted in position the cleats 16, as mentioned before, protrude through lateral slots 17 of the sleeve.

These FIGURES 4 and 5 also show an example of the above-mentioned locking means between the sleeve and plate. In the corner formed between one side wall of the compartment 15 and the adjacent cleat 16, an L-shaped strip 18 of spring steel is mounted and is secured at one end to the side wall of the compartment, e.g., with a rivet 19, so that it protrudes somewhat from the compartment. The other end 20 of the spring is bent at an angle and, together with the cleat 16, extends through the slot 17 of sleeve 11. That limb of the spring which engages the side wall of the compartment 15 has a projecting lug 21 struck out from the spring. This lug corresponds with an opening 22 in the sleeve and engages this opening to lock the plate and sleeve when the handle is assembled. Pressure on the free end 20 of the spring will urge the lug out of the opening 22 and permit the pulling of the plate 10 out of the sleeve. The manipulation of the microphone is the same as has been described in the first embodiment.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand-holdable microphone assembly comprising an elongated support; an electroacoustical transducer mounted at one end of said support; cleat means on said support provided with longitudinally spaced portions having flanges spaced from said support and extending in opposite directions generally parallel thereto for winding a microphone cable connectable with said transducer around said clean means between said support and said flanges within the outline of said support; and enclosure means removably receiving at least a portion of said support beyond said transducer for enclosing said cable, said enclosure means forming a sleeve surrounding said support and said cleat means.

2. A microphone assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said support is provided with a head containing said microphone, said sleeve having an open end in which said support is insertable and terminating at said head.

3. A hand-holdable microphone assembly comprising an elongated support; an electroacoustical transducer at one end of said support; cleat means on said support provided with longitudinally spaced portions having flanges spaced from said support and extending in opposite directions generally parallel thereto for winding a microphone cable connectable with said transducer around said cleat means between said support and said flanges within the outline of said support; and enclosure means removably receiving at least a portion of said support beyond said transducer for enclosing said cable, said enclosure means forming a sleeve surrounding said support and said cleat means, said support being provided with a head containing said microphone, said sleeve having an open end in which said support is insertable and terminating at said head, said cleat means being formed by a pair of longitudinally spaced posts extending generally transversely to said support whereby said microphone cable when Wound about said posts forms a space between said posts and the turns of cable of a width sufiicient to receive a microphone plug at an end of said cable.

4. A microphone assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein the height of said posts is sutficient to receive said plug therebelow.

5. A microphone assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said sleeve at its open end abuts said head and is provided with a slot adapted to pass said cable when the latter is unwound from said cleats for use of the transducer.

6. A microphone assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said head is provided with lateral openings through which acoustic vibrations are transmittable to said transducer.

7. A microphone assembly as defined in claim 3 Wherein said posts are generally cylindrical and said flanges are discs surmounting said posts.

8. A microphone assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said posts are generally semicylindrical and said flanges are circular segments.

9. A hand-holdable microphone assembly comprising an elongated support; an electroacoustical transducer mounted at one end of said support; cleat means on said support provided with longitudinally spaced portions having flanges spaced from said support and extending in opposite directions generally parallel thereto for winding a microphone cable connectable with said transducer around said cleat means between said support and said flanges within the outline of said support; and enclosure means removably receiving at least a portion of said support beyond said transducer for enclosing said cable, said enclosure means forming a sleeve surrounding said support and said cleat means, said support being formed at said one end with a head receiving said transducer, said sleeve enclosing said head and said cleat means while being provided with openings in the region of said one end for transmitting acoustical vibrations to said transducer.

10. A hand-holdable microphone assembly comprising an elongated support; an electroacoustical transducer mounted at one end of said support; cleat means on said support provided with longitudinally spaced portions having flanges spaced from said support and extending in opposite directions generally parallel thereto for winding a microphone cable connectable with said transducer around said cleat means between said support and said flanges within the outline of said support; and enclosure means removably receiving at least a portion of said support beyond said transducer for enclosing said cable, said enclosure means forming a sleeve surrounding said support and said cleat means, said support being formed at said one end with a head receiving said transducer, said sleeve enclosing said head and said cleat means while being provided with openings in the region of said one end for transmitting acoustical vibrations to said transducer, said support being formed at its other end with retaining means for removably receiving a plug aflixed to one end of said cable, said retaining means being enclosed within said sleeve.

11. A hand-holdable microphone assembly comprising an elongated support, an electroacoustical transducer mounted at one end of said support; cleat means on said support provided with longitudinally spaced portions having flanges spaced from said support and extending in opposite directions generally parallel thereto for winding a microphone cable connectable with said transducer around said cleat means between said support and said flanges within the outline of said support; and enclosure means removably receiving at least a portion of said support beyond said transducer for enclosing said cable, said enclosure means forming a sleeve surrounding said support and said cleat means, said support being formed at said one end with a head receiving said transducer, said sleeve enclosing said head and said cleat means while being provided with openings in the region of said one end for transmitting acoustical vibrations to said transducer, said assembly further comprising releasable locking means on said support engageable with said sleeve for securing it to said support in a position wherein said cleat means is enclosed by said sleeve.

12. A microphone assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said releasable locking means includes an aperture formed in said sleeve remote from said openings, said support having a resilient pawl receivable in said aperture when said sleeve encloses said cleat means.

13. A microphone assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein said pawl is mounted on an outwardly biased detent manually engageable through said sleeve for withdrawing said pawl from said aperture.

14. A hand-holdable microphone assembly comprising an elongated support, an electroacoustical transducer mounted at one end of said support; cleat means on said support provided with longitudinally spaced portions having flanges spaced from said support and extending in opposite directions generally parallel thereto for winding a microphone cable connectable with said transducer around said cleat means between said support and said flanges Within the outline of said support; and enclosure means removably receiving at least a portion of said support beyond said transducer for enclosing said cable, said enclosure means forming a sleeve surrounding said support and said cleat means, said support being formed at said one end with a head receiving said transducer, said sleeve enclosing said head and said cleat means while being provided with openings in the region of said one end for transmitting acoustical vibrations to said transducer, said support being provided at its other end with gripping means laterally extending through the sleeve for manual engagement to withdraw said support from said sleeve.

15. A hand-holdable microphone assembly comprising an elongated support, an electroacoustical transducer mounted at one end of said support; said cleat means on said support provided with longitudinally spaced portions having flanges spaced from said support and extending in opposite directions generally parallel thereto for winding a microphone cable connectable with said transducer around said cleat means between said support and said flanges within the outline of said support; and enclosure means removably receiving at least a portion of said support beyond said transducer for enclosing said cable, said enclosure means forming a sleeve surrounding said support and said cleat means, said support being formed at said one end with a head receiving said transducer, said sleeve enclosing said head and said cleat means while being provided with openings in the region of said one end for transmitting acoustical vibrations to said transducer, said cleat means including a longitudinally extended plate perpendicular to said support and provided with said flanges at opposite ends of said plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 821,753 5/1906 Shirner 179-155 6 1,153,029 9/1913 Champion 179-155 1,361,590 12/1920 Koch 179155 2,470,320 5/1949 Page 339-147 5 ROBERT H. ROSE, Primary Examiner.

WALTER L. LYNDE, Examiner. 

1. A HAND-HOLDABLE MICROPHONE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SUPPORT; AN ELECTROACOUSTICAL TRANSDUCER MOUNTED AT ONE END OF SAID SUPPORT; CLEAT MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT PROVIDED WITH LONGITUDINALLY SPACED PORTIONS HAVING FLANGES SPACED FROM SAID SUPPORT AND EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS GENERALLY PARALLEL THERETO FOR WINDING A MICROPHONE CABLE CONNECTABLE WITH SAID TRANSDUCER AROUND SAID CLEAN MEANS BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT AND SAID FLANGES WITHIN THE OUTLINE OF SAID SUPPORT; AND ENCLOSURE MEANS REMOVABLY RECEIVING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT BEYOND SAID TRANSDUCER FOR ENCLOSING SAID CABLE, SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS FORMING A SLEEVE SURROUNDING SAID SUPPORT AND SAID CLEAT MEANS. 